We're Falling
by Wolvesta
Summary: Prompts for Aftercare Bingo: Falling from a great height and internal bleeding


Everything had been going just fine so far in the day, but near the end of their shift, they get one call from an address that they are all too familiar with. The team was supposed to respond to a potential fire after someone reported seeing smoke coming from a window. On their way to the location, it was Buck that had observed that it was the hoarder house. At that everyone cringed in annoyance more than anything. With the look of confusion on Eddie, they all explain how they hate going to that house.

Eddie's breath hitches in his throat when he hears how Buck almost fell from the house after almost being hit by a bowling ball. He immediately grabs his boyfriend's hand in reassurance. Buck smiles at this gesture

"Relax Ed, I'm still here. Besides we know the layout of the house, so we all can be careful this time." Everyone nods in agreement and Bobby announces that they have arrived at the house. One of the brothers is outside already.

"Oh thank goodness! My brother is trapped upstairs" he says as he points to the upstairs window where everyone sees a person sticking their head out the window. Buck immediately volunteers to go get them as he begins climbing the extended ladder as Eddie yells that he right behind him.

"Hey don't worry I'm here to get you out of here," Buck says to the man that is on the verge of a full-blown anxiety attack. The man nods and Buck asks him to stand back as he climbs into the window as Eddie waits outside. Buck says sorry as he starts busting down the window with the ax to fit the man out the window.

After Eddie helps him out, Buck hears someone yelling in the house.

"Bobby? This is Buck, I hear someone yelling from inside the house, I'm going to check it out!" Buck says as he hears Bobby yell through the radio to not go further into the house but Buck doesn't answer.

Buck carefully maneuvers through all the junk and ignores the radio.

"Is there anyone in here?!" He shouts, hearing nothing he goes to the next room and hears some banging under a pile of stuff. Buck rushed over and begins digging through the rubble. He sees an unfamiliar man through the pieces of junk and begins digging faster as Buck hears him wheezing for air.

Buck has the man's upper body exposed and can see that he is still trapped under a pile of heavy objects.

"How are you feeling sir? Can you tell me your name?" Buck asks as he desperately tries to hurry the rescue because he can feel the heat of the surrounding area rising.

"It's Malcolm...not good, I don't think anything is broken, I can't breathe too well."

"Ok Malcolm, when I lift this ladder, I need you to pull yourself out. Can you do that for me?" Buck starts to lift the ladder when Malcolm nods yes. When Buck lifts the ladder, Malcolm pulls himself out of the pile and falls on the cluttered ground. Buck drops the ladder.

"Malcolm? Malcolm?!" Buck looks around and sees there is a window in the far corner of the room. Buck radios in.

"Bobby you there?"

"Yes, I'm here Buck where are you?"

"I need help getting someone out the Northeast end of the house. He fell unconscious."

"We'll be right there" Bobby confirms as he sees Eddie coming up the ladder as he looks out the window. Buck breaks open the window as Eddie climbs in.

"Are you ok Evan?" Eddie looks at him first, and Buck says he is. Eddie nods and squeezes Buck's arm. He squeezes back. Eddie helps Malcolm climb outside and goes down the ladder with Malcolm on his shoulders. Once Eddie is completely down the ladder, Buck begins to climb down the ladder. He barely puts his foot on the first when he hears his name being yelled at.

"EVAN!" says the voice in a terrified manner

Eddie? Buck looks back down towards the voice but blacks out for a second. He remembers a hard jolt throughout his body and his name being called again.

But that's all he knows

{~}{~}

Eddie tries not to feel fear when he hears Buck was going to go back into the house because he heard someone. Eddie immediately starts going for the truck to climb back up, but Bobby stops him saying that it's too dangerous and Eddie wants to scream at him and everyone that he's supposed to have back up.

He's supposed to have Buck's back...his boyfriend's back...at all times!

But before he can take another step, he hears Bobby give him an order to check out the brother that was trapped. Eddie swallows his anxiety for Buck and he gets to work. He checks the man over and confirms that there is nothing wrong with him. He does not have smoke inhalation because had his head out the window the whole time.

Eddie then feels his heart pick up its pace when he hears Buck call for back upon a person on the other side of the house. Hen drives the truck to the requested area and extends the ladder as far as it can reach the roof. Eddie doesn't hesitate to climb the ladder and lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw Buck in the window.

Eddie climbs in and has to hold himself back from throwing his arms around Buck, reassuring himself that he's safe, but they still have a job to do. And they better do it quick but carefully because yes, this house is going to burn down any minute, but Friday night is pizza and a movie night with Christopher. Eddie shakes his head and allows Buck to put Malcolm over his shoulders.

After some pretty serious maneuvering, Eddie can climb out of the window with the man on his shoulders. Once he is on the ground, he hands off Malcolm to Hen and Chim who are waiting with a gurney. Eddie looks back and feels relief that Buck is coming down, but It doesn't last long when he sees...a bowling ball attached to a rope. It shoots out from the wall above Buck and hits him square on the side of the head. Eddie feels Buck's name being torn from this throat as he sees Buck being knocked off the side of the ladder and fall to the unforgiving ground.

"EVAN!" Eddie screams as he runs to Buck who is unconscious on the ground. Hen and Chim are right behind him as they get to work right away. Hen secures a neck brace on Buck and it shakes Eddie to his core, seeing Buck like this.

"Buck? Dude are you with us?" Chim asks as he carefully turns Buck over and Eddie does everything in his power not to cry at the sight of blood seeping out of Buck's mouth. Hen and Chim immediately get back to work.

"Did anyone see if he hit his head wh-when he landed?" Hen asked, stopping unable to complete the sentence without hesitation.

"I...I don't know, I think his helmet protected him from the full force of the ball" says Chim as he carefully pulls the helmet completely off of Buck and Eddie would give anything to see the blue eyes he loves so much to look at him.

He wants to help...he needs to help but he can't do anything. Bobby must have picked up on this because he leads him away from the scene, but had to hold him back a few times because Eddie wanted to be by Buck's side.

"Eddie you shouldn't be seeing that," Bobby says as he forces Eddie to sit down on the back of the truck. Eddie yanks off his helmet and looks up at Bobby with glistening eyes.

"I have to help him...somehow. I need to-" Eddie gets cut off when Hen and Chim are loading Buck into the back to the ambulance. Eddie looks at Bobby in silent pleading and Bobby waves him off, Eddie doesn't hesitate to climb into the back of the ambulance.

"Hang in there Buckaroo, we got you," Hen says she draped a blanket over Buck to avoid shock. Eddie instantly grabs Buck's hand and squeezes, hoping that the sleeping man can know that he's there. Hen closes the back of the doors as she pounds twice on the side of the ambulance, Chimney begins to drive.

"How's he doing Ed?" Chim asks, concern seeping through his voice.

"He's still unconscious!" Eddie brings Buck's hand up to his lips and gently kisses the knuckles.

"Hang in there mi amor, we're almost there" Chimney yells from the front that they've arrived. Chim and Eddie instantly take Buck inside the hospital where nurses are ready for them. Eddie desperately wants to follow Buck, but he knows he can't. He hesitantly lets go of Buck's hand and tries not to scream at the sight of Buck having a seizure.

{~}{~}

Eddie had managed to text Carla on what had happened. Carla texted back saying that she will watch Christopher for as long as they need. Eddie felt his phone go off and it was a video of Christopher wishing his Buck to get better soon.

Eddie had switched from pacing back and forth to sitting in a waiting room chair and shaking his leg up and down. It had been about an hour since Buck had been taken into the hospital, but there wasn't any news. Eddie had just sat down and had been silently praying for Buck to be ok. He had to be ok.

Eddie didn't think he'd survive losing Buck after Shannon

"Anyone here for an...Evan Buckley?" Eddie is instantly on his feet.

"I'm here. Is he ok?" Eddie asks as his anxiety climbs.

"He's alive, and he is lucky. The bowling ball must have been about 16 pounds because tests revealed that he had a brain bleed because of his skill being fractured. We have gone in and fixed it. When he landed on his ribs, he cracked 4 ribs and broke one of them. The broken one causes some internal bleeding after it punctured his lung, but we have fixed it. We set his dislocated shoulder and he won't need a sling. He's going to be fine, but he will have one hell of a headache when he wakes up. He's in room 202 when you're ready" Eddie nodded and all but ran to Buck's room.

Eddie had to steady himself before he pulled back the curtain. He hated seeing someone he cared so much about in the hospital. He pulled the curtain back and felt his walls beginning to break as he saw Buck laying in the hospital bed. He took a seat in the chair next to the bed and immediately grabbed Buck's hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing his knuckles.

" Tienes que dejar de asustarme mi amor *. I hate seeing you in this state." Eddie says as he feels his lips trembling on the verge of tears. He needs to hold it together.

He can't break down...not yet.

{~}{~}

_"Why hasn't he woken up yet?"_

_"The doctor said that his head injury was tricky and they don't know anything yet"_

_"It's all up to him"_

_"Evan please wake up. It's me, Maddie, we're here. We're all here"_

_"Come back to me cariño, come back to Christopher"_

{~}{~}

Buck isn't sure what feeling comes first because he is hit with an onslaught of pain. It hurts to breathe, move and even think. The annoying consistent beeping noise next to him isn't helping his headache. He struggles to open his eyes, even though the lights in the room are dimmed, it's still too bright. He squinted against the low light and could make out the forms in his room.

Hen and Chim have their heads down on the foot of the hospital bed with Bobby taking residence in the chair against the far end of the room. Buck feels panic when he can't find Eddie but stops when he feels a breath in his ear. It was then that Buck knew that Eddie was the one that was warming his back. He has slept in the same bed as Eddie many times to know every curve and inch of him and how he fits against him.

He feels a constant steady huff of air hit the top of his head and ruffles his messy hair. He looks down and sees Eddie's hand within his own, resting on his stomach. Buck grunted softly and turned carefully towards Eddie. Buck takes his hand and places it on Eddie's face, caressing it slowly and gently, not wanting to wake him up. Eddie subconsciously leans into the touch and Buck can see him relax. He feels a hand on his shoulder, he looks behind him and sees Maddie.

"You scared us, little brother. You've been asleep for almost two weeks now" Maddie whispered so as not to wake everyone up. Maddie continued to quietly speak at the look of confusion on Buck's face. "You went to the house of hoarders and got knocked off the side of the truck. You're going to be ok. Sleep now.

{~}{~}

The next time Buck wakes up, he still feels warmth on his back, but he sees that it's dark outside from the windows. The bedside lamp is on the lowest setting possible. Buck can feel Eddie behind him, using his fingers to carefully trace patterns in Buck's back. Buck smiles at the sensations, and as much as he wants to bottle this moment, he wants to see him.

He needs to see Eddie.

Buck feels the tracing stop and a sharp intake of breath when he groans in a little pain.

"Evan? Come on sweetheart let me see those baby blues." When Buck finally does turn around, he opens his eyes and sees a teary-eyed Eddie looking back at him. Eddie lets out a tearful laugh, but it turns into full-on sobbing before long. Buck places his hand on Eddie's face again and a hand instantly covers it. Buck shushes him gently,

"It's ok. I'm here" Buck says as he tucks himself into his lovers' side. Eddie instantly wraps his arms around Buck, mindful of his healing ribs.

"I-I thought I lost you" Eddie sobs into Buck's hair who simply nuzzles closer. Eddie pulls back to look Buck in the eyes.

"Are you ok Eddie?" Eddie looks at him in disbelief.

"You're the one who's in the hospital, Evan. I should be asking if you're ok" Eddie says, voice wavering.

"We're ok Eddie. We're ok. I'm here, you're here, we're here" Eddie slowly moves in and places a gentle trembling kiss on Buck's lips, tears rushing down his face. Buck leans in to kiss Eddie back. Buck subconsciously rubs the apples of his cheeks soothingly, just as he had always done in the past. Eddie pulls away and brings their foreheads together.

"I really thought I'd never see you again," Eddie says as a few more tears come down his face. Buck simply wipes them away. "Everyone was so worried about you Evan. They'll be happy to see you, but for tonight...just let me hold you" Buck smiles sadly, knowing that Eddie won't be able to fall asleep tonight without him. "I love you, Evan...I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you"

"I love you too Eddie"

They fall asleep, comfortable and safe in each other's presence

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Follow me on Tumblr: chitownwolf


End file.
